A Tale of Two Worlds
by HalfBloodDragon
Summary: What happens when select members of the X-men find a whole new challenge awaiting them? Slight bits of romance later. Purposely non-X3 compliant. Chapter 4 is up!
1. Chapter 1: A tear?

Disclaimer: I own nothing of X-men. Save for my purchased comics that I treasure. (My Precioussses!)

AN: So, being an avid fan of both X-men comics and the movies, I decided to combine them. I'm using the majority of the first two movies, but leaving out the part where Jean dies. Just pretend she lifts the plane and such from INSIDE the plane. And don't even think about X3. None of that junk entered in here, I assure you. I'm also pulling from the comic books, as some of my characters aren't from the movie. I.e. Gambit and other later ones. Yeah. I think everything else should be self explanatory. Hope you enjoy it:)

* * *

Chapter 1: A tear?

(As in paper, not crying)

Jean snapped awake. Something bad was happening. _Really_ bad. She couldn't think of the right words for it. _It's almost as if there's… a tear,_ she thought, searching for her slippers, _but in what? I just have this hunch it's some sort of tear…_ She stopped cold. _I do not have hunches, I have telepathy._ Silently swearing, she bolted out her door and ran down the hall, not caring who she woke up. _Logan's room._

Logan's door was cracked open. Jean pushed on it gently. It swung open easily. She scowled. No Logan to be seen. A door opened across the hall. Rogue stepped out followed by Gambit.

"What's goin' on?" Rogue asked, running a hand through her striped hair. Jean gave the two of them an incredulous look.

"You two are…" she was too astonished for words to come easily, "together?" Rogue looked horrified; Gambit smirked.

"No," Rogue stated firmly, "we ah not! A bunch 'a us were over in Bobby's room watchin' a flick." Jean nodded understandingly and turned back to Logan's room.

"When did either of you see Logan last?" she asked, opening a drawer. She shut it hurriedly.

Rogue frowned. "Earlier tonight, 'fore comin' over here. How 'bout you, Remy?"

"Hm. If Remy 'members right, I saw him gettin' into the fridge, 'round supper. So, not so helpful. Why? What's wrong?"

"I can tell something is off here, but I can't pinpoint what it is. And Logan's not here. He was when I woke up."

Rogue nodded. Then a thought hit her. "Wait a sec. You were in here wit Logan?"

Jean looked disgusted. "No, Rogue. I felt him here the telepathic way."

"Oh." Rogue looked disappointed. Gambit crouched, examining something on the floor.

"Hey!" he called, pointing, "Look at this!" Beyond his finger sat a flawless, steel-like metal ball.

"Don't touch it!" Jean shouted tensely. Gambit and Rogue froze. Jean crouched down next to him to get a better look.

"It feels like this is the cause of the tear," Jean continued, "but it's like the tear was hiding itself…"

"What ah you talkin' 'bout?" asked Gambit.

Jean sighed and massaged her temples. "It's hard to explain. I'm not even sure myself. Ugh. All this telepathy hurts my brain." She stared back at the metallic ball. She sent a tiny tendril of her mind out to it. Suddenly, it started glowing and floating. The sphere tightened a vice-like grasp on her mind. She tried to pull her mind back. It didn't budge. Jean cried out in pain. She was getting sucked in.

Panic was written all over Gambit's face. "Cherie!" he asked Rogue, "You know her better! What should we do?"

"I 'ave no idea," Rogue said with concern.

Jean felt the pulsating sphere grapple with her mind. A memory exuded from it and rolled over her.

_Logan sat bolt upright in bed. He groaned. _Those dreams again. At least this time Rogue's not here to get injured by them._ He grimaced at the memory. Then it hit him. Something was wrong. His instincts felt _very_ wrong. He glanced around his room. There, in the corner, was a glowing silver ball, __pulsating and softly humming_

What the…_ Logan threw off his covers and went over to it. His claws slid out smoothly and silently. He circled it slowly, eyes fixed on it. He raised one fist cautiously, and prodded it with a claw._

The memory ended, releasing Jean's mind. Curious, she stretched out one finger and gently poked the orb. Blackness enveloped her.

* * *

Rogue and Gambit could only watch in horror as Jean disappeared into the pulsing blob.

"Jean!" Rogue yelled as Gambit stood shell-shocked.

"Now what ah we 'posed to do?" she asked Gambit.

"Well, look at the bright side, Cherie. At least now we know where monsieur Logan went, eh?" A smile touched her lips before vanishing.

"That's it!" Rogue yelled excitedly.

"What's it?" he responded, puzzled.

"I'm gonna folla them," she stated proudly.

"You're gonna what?"

"I'm gonna touch the floatin', glowin', ball thing," she said patronizingly.

"Why in the world? It's not safe," Rogue turned back to the sphere. "Rogue? Ya listenin"?"

"No." She reached toward it.

"Rogue!" he grabbed her shoulder to pull her back. She touched it. A second later, Logan's room stood deathly quiet. The only movement came from a faintly glowing metal sphere, slowly settling back onto the floor.

* * *

A/N: Yay! I have a bunch more of this written, but I won't post until it undergoes more editing.

HBD


	2. Chapter 2: A Very Hairy Bear

A/N: I told someone it'd be a week before I updated and it's been three! I feel like such a horrible person. But anyways! This chapter's a bit longer, complete with more plot. Hope that makes up for my hideous un-timeliness

Disclaimer: Life would be _very_ interesting if I owned the X-Men. Sadly I do not. (Dang! There went my plans for World-Domination!) smiles innocently

* * *

Chapter 2: A Very Hairy Bear

Jean had a throbbing headache. _Just what I needed to complete my day_, she thought, staring up into a clear blue sky, _Now it'll feel like my head's exploding whenever I use my powers._ A comfortable feeling of warmth settled over her like a blanket. _Mmm. That feels nice. _A sudden thought hit her. _Where the heck am I?_ She lurched to her feet shakily, observing her surroundings for the first time. A blindingly bright meadow spread out beneath her, surrounded by forest._ Never been here before_. Something glinted in the grass. _Oh no._ She took a step towards it. A soft humming started. _Oh no_. Jean stumbled backwards. The sphere flashed brilliantly. Suddenly, Rogue appeared, slamming into an unsuspecting Remy. Jean smirked and sauntered over to a still recovering Gambit and Rogue sprawled on top of each other. Someone groaned.

"Rogue, I think you snapped somethin'."

"Aww. Thanks for the concern, Remy. I'm fine though."

"I wasn't worried about you. _You_ landed on somethin' soft."

Rogue sat up. "I wasn't expectin' you comin' wit." Gambit leaned on an elbow.

"You expect Gambit ta miss out on all the fun? Never."

Jean smirked. "And I thought you were the one complaining a second ago."

"Fun is painful, more of'en dan not." He rubbed the side of his rib cage.

"Whatever. We still need to find Logan," Rogue said.

"Shh!" Jean said frantically, flinging herself to the ground.

_Nobody move!_ she thought to Gambit and Rogue, stuffing her hand into her mouth to keep from yelling in pain.

"There's a bear in the bushes," she whispered, sick of her head exploding. Stifled laughter came from behind them.

"Not a bear, lady," the person said, still laughing, "a wolverine."

"Logan!" Rogue jumped up, sprinting over to the bushes. A familiar dark-haired shape stepped out to sweep her up in a bear hug.

"Good ta see you, kid." Logan caught Remy giving him eyes of hate. Something very red distracted him. He loosed his grip on Rogue.

"Hello Jean," he said, staring slightly.

"Hey Logan," Jean replied, faintly smiling.

"So," Logan coughed, "you guys figured out how to work the metal ball?" Rogue cast Jean a questioning glance.

"Well, I probed it and it started glowing. I touched it, then I guess Rogue and Remy touched it. Don't know if that counts as working." Jean picked up on something in Logan before he barred his mind.

"Try to get it going again if you can?"

Jean felt it in him again. "Sure," she agreed warily.

She walked back to the ball and crouched down next to it. It wasn't pulsing, humming, glowing, or anything else unnatural. It was just sitting, like a normal lump of metal. Albeit a perfectly round, perfectly smooth lump of metal.

She sent out her mind again and grimaced a little. _Stupid, good for nothing headache_. She probed around a bit. Nothing. It didn't react or anything. Jean pulled her mind back, sitting on her heels.

"What's wrong?" Rogue asked.

"It's not doing anything. Nothing at all." She sat there, still simply staring at it. "Logan?" she continued, "what happens when you touch it like this?"

"Go ahead," he replied, "Nothing happens. I poked it with a stick, my finger, my claws. All nothin'."

Rogue sighed. "We're stuck here, aren't we?" All eyes turned to Jean.

She touched the sphere and matched Rogue's sigh. "Looks like it."

Rogue turned to Logan. "Do you have any idea where we ah?"

"Rogue, I wasn't here a full ten minutes before you three came barging in." Gambit snorted.

"We went to all the trouble of findin' you af'er you'd been gone ten minutes? Man, ah we paranoid, or wat?" Rogue laughed and punched him playfully in the arm.

"Maybe we are. But fo' once at least, we were right, eh?" Rogue grinned.

"Hey," Logan said to Rogue, "leave the 'eh's to the Canadian, eh?" Laughter.

"Wait!" Gambit exclaimed. "Rogue! You touched me!"

Rogue was stunned. "I did, didn't I… Wait! What if somethin' happened ta me goin' through that weird ball thing?"

"Jus' touch me 'gain an see wat happens." He barely suppressed a small smile.

"You don't mind?"

The smile broke free. "Is dat a rhetorical question?"

"I meant 'bout bein' a guinea pig an all."

"I guess dat's _one_ way ta look at it."

Logan shook his head, smiling. "Kids. They're so hilarious."

Jean laughed. "Now I'm _dying_ to see what happens." Rogue gave her an ugly look. She exhaled loudly and gently placed her hand on Gambit's arm.

"Ya know?" Gambit smirked, looking at her hand, "I could really get used ta dis."

Rogue promptly removed her hand. "Aw, shut up, Cajun. Jus' be glad I didn't fry yer brains."

"Nothing, Rogue?" Logan asked. She shook her head. He nodded understandingly. "Okay, we're one mutant down. Are you two still in full working order?"

By way of response, Jean mentally lifted a nearby stone and lobbed it at Gambit. It glowed as he caught it. He chucked it at a tree, which immediately exploded.

"I dunno 'bout you, Cherie," Remy drawled, "but I'd call dat workin' order. How 'bout you, Logan? You in workin' order?" Logan slid out a claw and slit his other arm. The gash flowed, stopped, and sealed.

"So that makes you the only one that got screwed up 'cause of the ball, kid."

Rogue let out a small sigh. "Great."

"Anyway," Jean said, "we need to figure out where we are. Logan, I don't have to fear damaging you, and you have the best eyesight, so how about if I send you up a bit to look around?"

"Fine," he agreed hesitantly, "Just don't drop me."

"Just don't squirm."

He felt himself rising up nearly 20 feet into the air. All sense of being safe and supported disappeared.

"Is that high enough?" Jean yelled up to him.

"Yes!" he called down.

"Can you see anything?"

"No."

"Then do you need to go higher?"

"No."

"Logan," Jean said, exasperated.

"Fine. Just a little bit though!" He shot up 50 feet. "That's more than a little!" he yelled down. Jean nodded.

Logan took a look around. It was all trees and forest for a good few miles in every direction. He could barely make out what looked like skyscrapers in the distance. He frowned. _Where in the world is this much forest so close to a big city?_ He noticed something. Roughly 500 yards away rose a gently sloping hill. The trees thinned a bit on it and a sprawling building crowned its summit. _Looks like a cross between a fortress and a mansion._

He looked down at Jean. "Bring me down now!" he yelled. He descended slowly until he was about 10 feet in the air. Then she dropped him. He landed on his feet with a wince. "Remind me not to play scout again."

"You shouldn't yell at the mutant keeping you in the air," Jean noted sagely.

"Just don't drop me like that."

"So," Rogue interjected, "Which way ah we goin'?" Logan pointed towards the hill.

"South. That way."

"Wat'd you see o'er der?" asked Gambit.

"There's a big house up that way."

"Then let's get going," Jean said, taking the lead through the nearby trees. Gambit hung back for a second. In one deft motion, he reached down and snatched the silver ball, dropping it into his pocket. He ran up and joined the rest of the group.

* * *

I can handle flames, so don't be shy! Just try not be like "It sucks." instead "It sucks because..."

Muchas gracias,  
HBD


	3. Chapter 3: An Unexpected Ally

A/N: Big thanks to t.c. aether and Ultra Geek, my betas! Yay for me!

Uh, but I realized how long I've put off posting my updates, so this chapter is un-beta-ed. Beware!

And, if it helps the impossibly long delay, guess what? I finished writing aToTW! Whoo hoo! So you can (hopefully) expect updates much sooner. But it's still going through _major_ revisions.

Disclaimer: I would love to be Stan Lee. Or even Bryan Singer. But guess what? I'm not.

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Ally

"So," Jean asked, stepping through the last of the foliage, "is this the 'big house'?" Logan nodded.

Jean paused, her eyes closed. She laughed and continued walking. "He's expecting us."

"Who's 'he'?" Gambit asked, perplexed.

Jean smirked. "You'll see."

They continued to prod her, but that was all she would say.

The foursome approached the hill with caution and finally made it to the house. Jean rung the doorbell, drawing a laugh from someone inside.

"You know," the voice continued, opening the door, "it's rather pointless to ring." And, seated there in his wheelchair in front of them, was the professor.

"Common courtesy," Jean replied, simply smiling.

"Well, come in! Take a seat, and welcome to my humble abode."

"Humble?" Gambit asked, "'Fessor, ah you all right? You're jokin'!" He was still recovering from the shock. Rogue and Logan, now seated, were just as surprised as Gambit.

Charles cocked an eyebrow. "The other one had a lacking sense of humor? I'm sorry to hear that."

"Othe' one?" Rogue questioned, "What othe' one? Othe' what?"

"The other Professor X, of course." He looked at their blank faces. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Jean asked cautiously. Logan was abnormally tight-lipped.

Charles sat back in his wheelchair and folded his hands. "Nobody knows for sure when, but a long time ago, the world split into two parts: Earth as you know it, and what we call Terah. After some investigation, I've come to the conclusion that only humans without even the dormant version of the X-gene were copied."

"So only non-mutants transferred?" Jean inquired.

"No. If you go back far enough, every mutant will have come from humans at one point in time. Those humans had the dormant X-gene: one day it would become activated and create mutant offspring. These humans _don't have the gene._ Not even the dormant version. At no point in time will their offspring ever become mutants."

"Then how'd you get here?" Rogue asked.

Charles chuckled. "That is why Eric and I have come to believe that in some way, he and I are responsible for the split. We are the only mutants natural to this planet."

"Magneto?" Logan ventured.

"The one and only. Although, seeing you here does confirm one of my theories." He paused to glance around the room. "I fear Magneto has been adding mutants to this population."

"Wait. What?" That was Rogue.

"The metal sphere you went through to get here. Every time a mutant goes through, it opens a temporary portal between Earth and Terah, allowing me to establish a mental contact with Earth's Charles for a limited amount of time. Roughly 45 seconds this last time. But the 'two' of us verified something. All four of you disappeared from Earth's mansion when you came here. I was able to divert Magneto's transfer through my own metal sphere. The one you went through."

"Dat wasn't Magneto's" Gambit asked, a bit crestfallen.

"No. This was the first time mine worked. The one you went through to get here was planted by Magneto. The other Charles and I knew that Magneto was going to call you, Logan."

Logan nodded. "He told me a bit ahead of time. About the sphere thing."

"He _what?_" Jean nearly yelled.

Charles raised a hand to her. "All in good time, Jean. The more important issue." He paused to gather his thoughts. "You know how, a month back, Scott went off on a mission?"

"To New Hampshire, to check on Havok," Jean offered.

"To check on Alex, in a way, yes. But to New Hampshire? No. Magneto sought to weaken the other Charles' info-structure. Took out the head of his precious X-men. Scott was called before Logan."

Jean was aghast.

Logan rubbed his forehead. "It's so weird hearin' you talk 'bout the Professor in third person."

"But you said _we_ were da firs' time your li'l sphere t'ing worked," Gambit said.

Charles nodded. "You were."

Gambit looked at Jean, her head buried in her hands. "Den dat means—"

"That Scott is with Magneto," Jean finished through her hands.

"Ooh, boy…"


	4. Chapter 4: The Other Kind of Tear

A/N: I really can't apologize enough for the HUGE delay. All I can say is a huge thanks to pwrmom2 whose review got me updating again.

Chapter 4: The Other Kind of Tear

Logan stood outside Jean's new room, staring at the inlays in the oak floor, and thinking of his next words. _Just be a friend to her,_ a little voice whispered, sounding eerily like a conscience. _Haven't heard _that_ voice in a while_. He took a deep breath, muttered "Here goes," and knocked on her door.

"Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone."

"It's Logan."

A long pause, and the latch slid back. The door swung open with a gentle press. Jean was sitting back against her headboard, eyes closed. He softly made his way over to her, dropping down on the edge of the bed. The door closed seemingly of its own accord while the two of them simply sat there not speaking or moving for a few rare moments.

"How ya doin'?" Logan gently prodded. She sighed, and he could tell she was doing all she could to keep from sobbing.

"I thought for certain he was with Havok. The recent state of things had gotten him so depressed… and I don't know. He needed a break. Everyone did, you can attest to that yourself, but Scott especially. The entire world decided to openly declare their hatred of the X-men—"

"So their leader naturally took the brunt of it."

"Exactly. He used to be able to take it fairly well, though. But this… this was too much for him. Sometimes… No. What I was saying—"

"'Sometimes' what, Jeannie?"

A look of pain crossed her face, but she continued anyway. "He was giving up. I could feel it every once in a while. The incessant fighting for our right to live was tearing him apart on the inside."

Logan tried to suppress a grin. "Ole' Scooter ain't so tough, is he?"

Jean glared. "Don't. Not now, not in front of me."

"Got it." He cleared his throat. "You were saying?"

"I don't know. He just _really_ needed a break. Some time away from it all. And seeing Alex was perfect for that. Even Xavier agreed." She sighed again. "I don't know, Logan. He seemed so happy right before he left." Jean let out a long suppressed sniffle. Logan slipped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and just cried.

They sat like that for some time. Jean finally lifted her head up to look at him.

"Thank you," she whispered. He looked down at her, surprised.

"For what?"

"For just listening." She let out a weak smile. "And for letting me soak your shirt."

He smirked. "My pleasure."

She went on. "And for not pulling an Ororo and telling me all the answers. And making me feel like the stupid, blind, child I am."

"How _could_ you have known?"

She sighed and resumed leaning into him. "See what I mean?"

A small laugh escaped. "No."

Light filtering down through a strange window took the sleep from Logan's eyes instantly. He tried to get up, but something pinned his left arm. Instincts started to flare up, but he turned to get a look. Jean. _Well I'll be damned._ He thought back to the night before. _Gotta listen to that little voice more often._ Jean shifted beside him.

"Morning," he whispered, planting a kiss on top of her head. He tensed, awaiting her response and hoping it wasn't the negative kind. She continued leaning against him.

"Did you stay here all night?" Jean asked, getting up.

He stretched. "Apparently." Footsteps passed by her door. "Do you need me to go?"

She stood thinking for a second. "I think I just need some time alone now. Thanks for letting me vent, though."

Logan nodded, and in a second, he was back in his own room.

•••

Charles Xavier of Terah sat at his desk, thoroughly confused. This was not something that happened often. He had learned from his source that Wolverine would be coming. It made sense; Magneto could use a mutant with a metal-lined skeleton. But why had he himself gotten the other three mutants along with? And never before had multiple mutants gotten called at the same time. He felt every calling like a rip in the very fabric of the world. This had been the biggest rift to date. The passage of each mutant opened the hole for roughly fifteen seconds each, but a minute was sufficient for the "two" greatest telepaths to exchange all necessary information.

Charles subconsciously twirled a pen that had been lying on his desk. And what did Magneto want with… Gambit, for example? Or Rogue, for that matter? What in the world could—

"You wanted to see me, Charles?" Jean asked, entering his study.

"Yes, of course," he responded, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. She accepted gracefully.

"To be quite frank," he continued, "I need to read your mind. I was able to get enough details from you in our conversation on the way here to realize that it just doesn't add up. I need to know as much as I can if I'm to solve this."

He could see Jean trying to gauge his emotions. "That's fine," she agreed hesitantly, "But this just doesn't sound like you. Normally, you'd consider it an invasion of privacy and a last resort."

He chuckled. "I'm not the professor that you know, Jean. There are fundamental differences."

"Like your sense of humor?"

"Among other things. I think any of the people copied over here have differences."

"In what way?" Jean asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"It depends on the person. Magneto, for example, decided against attempting to eradicate the humans, and simply wants to overthrow their government to establish a mutant ruling elite."

"How does he plan to do _that_?"

Charles glanced at his watch. "If you can wait five minutes, you can ask him yourself."


End file.
